Nina The thick veil of mist hung heavy in the air, enveloping our makeshift camp in a shroud of eerie stillness. The acrid stench of smoke still clung to our clothes and hair, a lingering reminder of the inferno we had barely escaped with our lives. Two days. We had spent two days traveling, and
“Your foolish quest has cost us dearly,” he began without preamble, his words biting. “The forest, our home—all of it, reduced to ash and ruin because of your reckless actions.” A flicker of sadness flickered inside of me because I knew that Kai was right. But before I could muster a response, the
Enzo The acrid stench of smoke scorched my lungs with every labored breath, the ash-choked air searing my throat as I stumbled blindly through the smoldering ruins of the forest. Ash crunched beneath my boots, embers glowing like crimson eyes in the hazy gloom that had enveloped me. All around m
Nina Despite the refugee camp’s chaos, it was a shockingly lively place with a lot of laughter. Now that so many families had been reunited and we had made our way to an untouched swath of forest, things seemed to be looking up. Over the next couple of days, the camp grew more and more lively. T
Nina Waiting by Enzo’s bedside seemed to feel like an eternity, with each minute ticking past seeming to drag on forever. But, with mine and Jessica’s help, along with his own healing, he was soon starting to show signs of waking up by the time the sun rose. It wasn’t until well after the sun ma
“You can tell me,” I finally choked out. “I just want to know if he…” “He was alive, last I saw him,” he cut me off, giving my hand a firm squeeze. “But… there was so much happening, Nina.” Despite the hope in his words, I could see the true emotion in his eyes: uncertainty. Hot tears began to p
Nina The camp had long since gone quiet, save for the sound of the wind rustling through the canopy and the occasional critter rooting around for crumbs. Beside me, Enzo slept soundly, still healing after his ordeal. He had been sleeping on and off all day, and I had hardly left his side. But no
Nina The warmth of the morning sun filtered through the opening of our tent, gently pulling me out of the soundest sleep I had had in… well, I couldn’t even remember how long it had been. Slowly, I turned to see Enzo still sleeping beside me, peaceful as ever. Memories of our night together came